


The New Scene

by ItzMDF



Category: Initial D
Genre: Action/Adventure, Adventure, F/M, Inspired by K-Drama | Korean Drama, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Racing, Street Racing, Tuning, a tad bit of angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2020-10-18 04:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20633147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItzMDF/pseuds/ItzMDF
Summary: Years after Project D had ended, a simple conversation leads to a series of interesting events, for better and for worse.





	1. A Year After (Prologue)

**Author's Note:**

> So, during the meme rise of Initial D, I decided to watch the series. I pretty much loved it but couldn't think about any story ideas.
> 
> Eventually, I decided on this fan made sequel that will rattle the fanbase.
> 
> So, without further ado, here's my contribution to drifting weeb fandom.

_One year ago..._

"I mean, do you think you would have another chance?"

Iketani looked at the illuminated city at the distance. His mind tangled in thoughts that would or could change for better and for worse.

Kenji stood beside his best friend, looking at Shibukawa. The pair looked over the city at the top of Mount Akina.

"Iketani-san?"

"Yes?"

"Are you gonna answer my question?"

Iketani crossed his arms, "It's been a year, I've changed over time, I'm much better than before and I have more than enough money. But not yet."

Kenji shrugged and glanced at their cars. Iketani's car was Nissan Silvia K's Aero , S14. His one, on the other hand, was a Honda Integra Type R, DC2.

While half of the population of Japan would wonder why he would buy himself a car like a Honda Integra, he bought primarily because he felt a high surge of energy when first test driving the car. It was something he hadn't felt before when driving and bought the car immediately after realising a more in depth relationship between driver and machine.

"So, you wanna go on the downhill?"

Iketani turned to Kenji and smiled, "Of course, Kenji-san. We are the SpeedStars, and we have had over a year in training."

Kenji nodded. Both of them walked over to their respective cars, and started their engines.

Each of them smiled as the engines roared to life. The cars that had around 200hp could be much more with tuning. Iketani and Kenji had made that decision over the course of a year. They had sold their old cars, as much as they loved them, it was time for a change with the new millennium.

After heavy work hours and numerous carpooling rides, the uphill aces of Akina sped down the mountain with their 350hp cars.

-=-=-=-=--=-=-=

Nakazato rubbed the hood of his BNR32.

The dark metallic paint was a reminder of his race against the 86 of Akina. How the young racer was able to defeat not only himself and Shingo, but also numerous more talented racers across Kanto that were beyond him.

Beside him, the sound of Shingo's Honda Civic purred in its idle state. Shingo appeared to be texting someone. Nakazoto sighed, as he opened the hood of his GT-R. The engine sat cold in the night air.

Shutting the hood, he didn't notice that Shingo had gone out of his car and was walking towards him.

"So, what do you want to replace her with?"

"An R33."

Shingo took a puff of his cigarette, Nakazoto wondered when he did light the cigarette, probably from when he exited his car.

"Seriously? R33 is not the best replacement for the 32."

"I know. But it's the best car for me."

Shingo remained silent. As he finished smoking, the Civic driver leaned on the GT-R.

"Like you said, huh? 'A car will not run a driver's capabilities.' To be honest, that's bullshit."

Nakazoto turned to his friend and smirked, "I guess."

"Well, I mean, you could tune it to the same horsepower. Plus, R33 doesn't have a front heavy weight load."

Nakazato straightened his body posture, and looked at Shingo, staring at the distant mountains of Gunma.

"So, what do you want to replace your EG6?

"I made my choice, Honda Accord Euro R, CL1."

Nakazoto was slightly shocked by the statement his friend made, "Really? I thought you were gonna get a EK9."

"I know, but ever since I started dating my girlfriend, I decided on a sports sedan. Plus, the Euro R has around 220hp. With some Spoon Sudo parts, it can go much higher."

Nakazoto nodded at his friend's response. He looked at their cars. This was going to be their last race for these vehicles. The pair were offered a high amount of money paid to them if they sold the cars to a motorsports sponsor. Obviously, they had check if it wasn't bogus or not, but it was the real deal. Ultimately, after much discussion amongst the team, it was needed for a brand new change.

Nakazoto looked at his friend and smiled.

"One last ride?"

Shingo nodded and grinned.

"One last ride."

-=--=-=-=-=-=-=-

Mako closed the door to her apartment.

The female racer had finished her sponsored venture into professional racing over a week ago and had arrived in her humble abode.

She heaved a sigh of relief, she did not need to talk to so many people any more.

Her stint in professional racing had left an impression on her. She had more gymkhana experience and absolutely disliked it.

There existed numerous reasons why she disliked it. While she could think of many, many reasons, one that stuck out was that in professional racing, there much more strict rules. While she could definitely race, laps around a circuit didn't compare to the joy she had on Usui. It did excite her to no end, and she was able to get podium positions and fueled her pride in racing.

Mako walked immediately into her room and jumped out her bed. She was tired with her work now as a supervisor in the company she worked so hard for over the years.

Her mind drifted, deep in thoughts and memories.

_Iketani..._

The female racer almost burst into tears.

After a few races, she had met with Takumi Fujiwara, the legendary 86 of Akina at his father's tofu shop. After some conversation, the topic shifted to his friends. Apparently, the young racing prodigy was teaching his friends the techniques learned in Project D. There she learned that, Iketani had dumped her because he didn't feel he was good enough to be her boyfriend. He had also thought she was seeing Ryosuke Takahashi due to a photo in her purse while at the water park.

She resisted the urge to sob right then and there, but Takumi knew that she was sad from the revelation and comforted her with a hug. There she sobbed quietly, being comforted by the 19 year old like a younger brother.

Still, even now, she cried in silence as her introverted self crumbled its protective shell. While it may have been a series of unfortunate events, it was her fault of leaving the photo in the first place.

It nagged her to no end, and fueled her depression leading her to have numerous nights of crying herself to sleep.

Yet there was the slimmer of hope, a second chance of repairing her failed relationship with Iketani.

Eventually, she drifted into sleep, confused in emotion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please read, review and enjoy.


	2. A New Challenge?

_Present time._

Takumi sipped another cup of coffee.

The young prodigy worked as a businessman at a company, alongside his occasional street racing and circuit racing.

While he had plans of becoming a professional racer, Takumi was dissatisfied with circuit racing. It was much different from the mountain passes and rally racing proved to be difficult on dirt courses.

Now, he sat back as a businessman, hoping to make a living.

Takumi was always shy, but his 2 year experience made him more social and he had a good payday too.

As he listened to his manager talk about a visitation of some workers from the Nagano Prefecture coming over to the office, he pushed aside the thoughts of racing behind his head and began doing his job.

It didn't bore him, it was helpful to his introvert personality and he was a notable asset to the company, being one of their best workers.

As the hype settled down, he continued to do his job as an accountant, counting the numerous profits and keeping an eye on the spending.

He almost jumped out of his chair when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

"Oh sorry. Are you Takumi Fujiwara?"

"Um, yes." Takumi stammered.

The man who had tapped his shoulders directed him to an empty meeting room, and handing him another cup of coffee.

As the man took a sip of coffee, Takumi made a mental note that he looked alot like Nobuhiko Akiyama, but with shorter hair.

"My name is Hiroshi Noburu.", the man said after he finished his sip of coffee.

Takumi nodded at his response, "Why did you want to talk to me? Is it about business?"

Hiroshi smiled, "You are Project D's downhill ace, aren't you?"

Takumi was shocked by this statement, he hadn't a good opponent in a year or so. He had a few wannabes attempt to challenge him but he left them in the dust.

Hiroshi, on the other hand, had a tingling aura around him, sensing that he was more than a wannabe racer.

Takumi smiled, "You want to challenge me?"

Hiroshi nodded.

"I brought my car, you wanna see it?"

As the two walked to their cars parked outside, Takumi was beaming inside. He hadn't had a challenger in a while and his racing mind was on overdrive.

Hiroshi walked over to an Honda S2000.

"This is mine, an AP2."

Takumi tilted his head, "It looks like a AP1 to me."

"Yeah, it's just a face lift. Some versions have 2.2 litre engine. But this car is about as similar as it predecessor."

"I see. So you want to race on Akina?"

Hiroshi shook his head, "No, we'll have a battle on my home course."

"Okay, where is it?'

"Mount Norikura."

Takumi's eyes went wide, "One of the Japanese Alps?"

Hiroshi nodded, "Yes, Norikura is the only with touges, however. I race on the Echo Line."

He smiled, "I'll let you practice for as much as you like."

He reached into his suit pocket and pulled at a card, "Here's my phone number, call me when you're ready to battle."

Takumi nodded. He glanced at Hiroshi's AP2, and his AE86 a few blocks away.

The S2000 looked tuned for downhill racing with it having a large rear spoiler and a carbon fibre hood. Its grey colour struck him as odd but it reminded him of his battle with God Hand.

Takumi nodded at his opponent, "Let's head inside, we better finish work."

"Yeah, I'll finish your coffee too."

The pair laughed as they walked back inside.

-=-=--=-=-=-=-=

Takumi drove up Mount Akina.

His home course, the very reason he was a legendary racer in the street racing scene, was always the same.

Akina touge, his very first time he had ever had a race with someone happened nearly 3 years ago. Takumi, now 21 years old, had around 8 years experience on the course in general. He was arguably the fastest on Akina downhill with the exception of his father.

Takumi frowned when his father came into his mind. He was in his mid-40s now, and could easily defeat Takumi with his GC8.

While it helped in experiencing more car driving, his 86 was his life blood and always served as a great car to drive and race.

As he raced to the top of Akina, he remembered when he managed to repair the 86 around two years ago. It took some negotiation with Keisuke Takahashi, his friend and rival, with his professional racing contract to give him a replacement engine for the AE86.

While it did cause some complications, his AE86 was repaired once more and back to racing. Thus, it led to their rematch on Akina.

To almost everyone's surprise, Takumi ultimately lost. This was because of a few reasons but primarily Takumi couldn't keep up with Keisuke's FD. Even with high technique, power still showed its strengths in the battle.

Eventually, Keisuke bid farewell to street racing, for a while, and began his professional racing career in the GT300.

He didn't notice it but he had reached the top of the touge. Slowing the car down, Takumi parked it behind the guardrail, where spectators normally were when there were races.

After turning off the engine, Takumi climbed out of the car.

"Hey, Takumi-kun!"

He looked at the direction of the voice and saw his best friends Iketani and Kenji.

The pair had become the SpeedStars uphill aces while he became their downhill ace. He joined the team after his race with Keisuke, and served as Itsuki's and the other team members' tutor.

Speaking of Itsuki, his best friend wasn't present at the moment.

"Where's Itsuki?" Takumi asked as he walked over to his older friends.

"He went to replace his tires." Iketani spoke.

"I still can't believe he got himself an ST185." Kenji said as he crossed arms and smiled.

Takumi smirked at that statement. Itsuki made the decision to sell his AE85, and buy a Toyota Celica GT-FOUR, ST185.

While he still wasn't good at racing as the leaders of the SpeedStars or Takumi himself, he was still better than most of the recent members.

"So, Takumi. Any new challengers?" Iketani said as he put his hands on his hips.

"Oh, yeah, I do. A racer from Nagano, asked to race on his home course." Takumi replied reluctantly.

"Really? I didn't know Nagano had any street racers."

Kenji then tapped Iketani's shoulder.

"Sorry to break the chat but I'm gonna do some rounds on Akina."

"Okay, Kenji-san."

Kenji nodded and walked over to his Integra.

"Takumi-kun, do you want me to do the tofu deliveries?"

Takumi shook his head, "No need, Iketani-senpai. I was given unlimited time to practice on the course."

Iketani squinted his eyes and smirked, "Okay then, you wanna do some practice runs?"

Takumi smiled, "Of course."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Nagano was a great and strange place.

While it wasn't part of the Kanto region, it still had mountain passes.

It didn't take long for him to find Hiroshi's home course, the Echo Line.

Driving slowly up the mountain, he saw that it was a beautiful place. The views were wonderful and he took a glance at the other Japanese Alps in the distance.

Then again, this was the Norikura Skyline as according to the maps of Nagano he had seen.

The Echo Line, was just around the end of this road, and he could see his opponent's course and think of a strategy.

His stomach growled. Takumi frowned, he probably should have had some food before he left. But he could do that after he had seen the pass.

Going faster (but lawfully), Takumi drove down the Echo Line as fast he could.

The best way to describe it was that it was a more longer kind of course like Happogahara.

It starts off with turns and corners similar to Myogi, then switches to hairpin after hairpin like Irohazaka. Then it finished, with a section nearly identical to Tsubaki Line's first section.

Well, it may not be the finish, since it just so happened that there was a restaurant right there and then.

Takumi parked his car at the restaurant's car park and got of the car as fast as he could. Not because he was in a rush. Well, maybe, since he was very hungry.

He couldn't help but glance at an NSX, that looked like Go Hojo's NA1. However, it didn't have pop-up headlights so it was an NA2. Plus, it was a dark shade of blue instead of Go's red.

Heading inside, he immediately went to closest empty table for 2 and promptly sat down.

As he was handed a menu and ordered his food and beverage, he couldn't help but notice that someone was staring at him. The guy that was looking at him appeared to be in his late-20's. He looked burly too and he was also sitting alone.

While Takumi waited for his order to arrive, the man in question stood up and walked towards him. He looked somewhat menacing, with his fit build and tall height.

"Hey, are you Takumi Fujiwara?"

Takumi was slightly scared by his voice but it was a calming voice that reassured him.

"Yes, I am. And you are?"

The man sat down on the chair next to him, "My name is Takjiri Yoshifumi. You can call me Yoshi."

"Yoshi?"

Takjiri smiled, "Yeah, Yoshi. I used to love that character, so my family and friends call me Yoshi."

Takumi nodded, "I see."

Just then, Takumi's order arrived.

"Do you want me to order anything?" Takumi asked.

"No thank you, I already ate."

As he munched on his food hungrily, Takumi wondered who this Takjiri was. He gave a similar aura to some of the uphill aces that Project D faced.

Takumi partially stopped eating his food, so that he could ask a question.

"Do you know about Hiroshi Noburu?"

"Yes, I do. We're friends."

Takumi swallowed the food in his mouth, "Oh okay, are you guys on the same racing team?"

"Yes."

"How long have you been racing together?"

Takjiri smirked, " It's a long story, but I'll let you finish your food first."

It didn't take long for Takumi to finish, eager to listen to Yoshi's story.

Takumi wiped his mouth with a tissue before speaking, "So, how long you have been racing with Hiroshi?"

"We started street racing when we were about 18 years old. Though I started kart racing when I was 12."

"When did you decide on this course?"

"My father was a street racer himself. He even raced against your father too."

"Wait, my father raced against yours?"

"He did, in a 1st generation Lan-Evo. He raced on Akina downhill against the 86 but lost due to tire wear."

"Wow."

"I know, but we're getting off topic. My dad raced on the Echo Line and Norikura Skyline. We followed suit."

"Your car is the NA2, right?"

"Yep, best car I have. I call it 'Blue Dragon'. It has around 450 horsepower, and is tuned to be the best NSX there is."

Takumi wanted to doubt that statement but his doubts were dissipated once he saw the NSX. It had a large rear spoiler and minor cosmetic differences that would make it more aerodynamic. It probably was a good NSX, but he didn't need the information now.

"What's your driving style?"

"My driving style?" Yoshi looked a little lost for words.

Takumi frowned, "You're the uphill ace of this course, right?"

Yoshi smiled, "Yes, I am. I won't be racing against you since I'm not as good as Hiroshi on the downhill."

Then Yoshi snapped his fingers, "Back to the previous question, I'll explain with some personal history."

"Your driving style?"

"Yep. Anyway, back when I started street racing, I drove an SW20."

Takumi gulped. He knew SW20s tended to have a snap oversteer problem.

"One year later, when I was doing a time attack on the downhill of this pass, the car oversteered during one of the hairpins and I fell off the side of cliffs."

"You survived?" Takumi stuttered.

"Yes, but I had broken my spine pretty badly. Fractured six vertebrae, broke a few ribs and stitches on my face." Yoshi then pointed to a small yet noticeable scar on his cheek.

"Eventually, my father let me drive an NSX that he was working on for a GT500 championship. I drove the uphill since I was scared of the downhill while having a broken back, and became the uphill ace here. Once the car was sent to the motorsport racing team, I then bought the NA2 and here I am now."

Takumi was speechless. This uphill ace was essentially him or Shinji. He knew how to control a midship effectively, and had master the techniques that he learned from years of experience. Around 7 years of experience at minimum.

"So, when does the course start and finish?"

"That would be from the start of the border, as in the red no-entry signs, to this restaurant. Sometimes, we extend it to the snow resort further down."

Takumi nodded. Street racing had always been illegal. It was no surprise that they would cross over to another prefecture.

Glancing at a clock on the top of the counter, it was time for him to leave.

"Well, I must be going." Takumi said as he stood up and walked to the counter for payment.

"Ah, I'll see you around." Yoshi took out a card from his pants pocket.

"If you need to tune your car, come to my father's car shop. We cater to everything for your street racing needs."

Takumi nodded and let out a soft 'thanks' with Yoshi nodding in response.

As he settled the payment and walked to his 86, Takumi had his mind set on training for this race. He could think of a strategy formulating in his head, all he need was something from an old friend.

Ryosuke Takahashi.


	3. The Dream Returns

"I'll be off."

"Okay, Dr. Takahashi."

Ryosuke walked over to his FC, parked just outside the hospital and started his engine.

While he did get some odd looks from some of the staff, a majority of them knew that he was once part of the street racing scene. Being known as the White Comet of Akagi, it's no wonder that people knew of him.

As he drove to his house, a cosy 2-storey bungalow, he enjoyed the hum of the FC as it drove through the streets of Japan. It wasn't like the mountain passes, but it sure as hell made him remember when he raced.

Even better, he had Akagi all to himself. With Keisuke off to do professional racing, he had Akagi as his primary domain in Gunma. He served to be the ultimate challenger if someone wanted a race there.

He looked at the time of his watch since his car had a stripped interior. It was just an hour before midnight meaning he could do some runs on Akagi.

As he drove to start of Akagi, he switched to a low gear and began a hill climb of the course.

His FC had been retuned to 350hp following Project D's disbandment since his younger brother had switched to professional racing.

Once he reached the top, he noticed what appeared to be Takumi's AE86, waiting for him. Parking next to it, Ryosuke climbed out of the car with the 86's driver following soon after.

"Fujiwara, what brings you here?"

The young racer hadn't changed a bit with the onset of a faint normalcy of a businessman.

"I came to see you, Ryosuke-san."

"Why is that?"

"I got challenged."

Ryosuke listened intently on what Takumi was challenged on. The prodigy was going to have a battle on a touge in Nagano of all places.

"So, it seems you have everything sorted. Why come to me in the first place?"

"Because I need your calculations."

"My calculations?"

"Yeah, I've scouted the course already a few times. I know what opponent I'll be facing. It's just I need on how do you make those calculations, because I need to guarantee victory."

Ryosuke nodded, "I see. But I need to see this course myself."

"Err, okay. When are you free?"

"I can call an off day this weekend, allowing more time."

Takumi smiled, "Wonderful, can't wait."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Ryosuke was surprised by the actual length of the course.

It definitely was a longer version of Happogahara, with numerous types of corners and hairpins.

While he had managed obtain a time of just over 4 minutes, he knew that this would be a tough course.

"Fujiwara, your opponent has a good course. You should be careful though, this one doesn't have any guardrails."

"I know, which is why I've practiced alot on this course."

Takumi then looked at his FC.

"Your headlights are different."

Ryosuke nodded, "When I was retuning my car, I saw an FC with headlights on the front bumper. It's only cosmetic, but I admit it makes the car look nicer."

The FC's headlights were modified to the front bumper while the original placement was stripped down. The hood of the was pure carbon fibre and was more finetuned in that respect of cosmetics.

"Well, we'll wait for the race. Is there a set time for it?"

"No. I'll race when I'm ready, and once I contact my opponent."

"I see."

The two looked over the dark mountain as the stars glittered in the dark sky. Ryosuke smiled, knowing there were only a few places on Earth that you could the stars.

"So, how have you been, Ryosuke-san?"

Ryosuke once again smirked at Takumi, "I'm fine, as much as you are."

Takumi looked at up at the night sky, "You're still single?"

Ryosuke laughed, "Hey, I know you're dating Mika Uehara, one of the best golfers, but no need to rub it in my face like your racing skill."

Takumi also laughed, "Yeah, but seriously. Are you?"

Ryosuke nodded, "No, I'm not. I've been dating a old friend. 1 year and a half anniversary was a month ago."

Takumi smirked, "Well, how is she?"

"She's wonderful. Her name is Sayuki Matsumoto."

Takumi's eyes widened, "Sayuki? As in the Sayuki of Impact Blue?"

Ryosuke looked at him and nodded, "Yes, do you know her?"

"Of course, I raced them after I raced you. It was the first time I raced on another course, Usui."

"First time?"

"Yep, I hadn't practiced on the course yet I won."

"Hm, impressive."

Takumi smiled, "Thanks."

As they continued to converse, Ryosuke learned that Takumi was now a member of the Akina SpeedStars, serving as a tutor of the downhill. He had been teaching the techniques he learned in Project D to his good friends. The team also had a demo Altezza tuned to 350hp.

"Why an Altezza?"

"Well, it's unexpected. No one expects to race an Altezza that's fast."

"Who tuned it?"

"Me, my friends, Iketani, Kenji, Itsuki and a few others. We tried to make a car that was fast on the uphill and downhill."

"I see."

However, a loud engine roar and the squeal of tires brought their attention to the direction of the sound. Soon, an NSX drifted into the line of sight.

Ryosuke could tell from the engine that this was a highly tuned vehicle, specifically tuned for the hillclimb.

"Is that your opponent?"

"No, but I know them."

As the NSX slowed, Ryosuke noticed that the car was NA2, with its flat headlights and 3.2l engine roar. This was a normal one, not a Type R or the like.

Once the NA2 parked, its driver came out of the vehicle. With the engine off, it still looked menacing.

"Ryosuke-san, meet Takjiri Yoshifumi."

The driver was in his late 20's judging from appearance, as well as his burly build signifying that he was a mechanic as well as a street racer.

"Hello there, Ryosuke Takahashi.", Yoshi said calmly.

"Hello."

Takumi nodded, "He's the hillclimb ace of my opponent's racing team."

Ryosuke nodded in response and looked again at the driver, "Nice car you got there."

"Thank you."

"I'm assuming you're the leader of the racing team."

"Err, no. My father is."

Ryosuke was partially shocked but he continued, "Is there anything you would like to talk about?"

"Yes."

"Is it about me?"Takumi asked, breaking his silence.

"No, it's about Project D."

-=-=--=-=--=-=-=-=

"I admit I probably underestimated you."

"Yeah, probably."

Ryosuke and Yoshi were discussing the battles that Project D had faced and the way they challenged numerous racers.

Meanwhile, Takumi had gone home for some rest.

"I always wanted to race in the Kanto region, assert my legacy in the culture of the prefectures. I only had a year to fully complete my mission which is why I never planned on doing other regions."

Ryosuke looked at Yoshi intently.

"Does that explain Project D?"

"Partially. Other than motive, techniques and cars, I can understandable that you had a limited time to do something like that."

Yoshi chuckled, "Still, we waited just in case."

Ryosuke smirked, "Waiting for us to challenge you?"

"Of course, we trained like we always did, but you never came. Instead, we watched from the sidelines. Observed every race to think of strategies to defeat you. If you had challenged us, we would be racing until dusk."

Ryosuke's smirk faded, "I understand. So when your friend, Hiroshi challenged Takumi, did you expect me to come?"

Yoshi chuckled again, "No. I simply expected a downhill battle between the two, not you coming over and advising him like Project D's leader."

"Would you like me to reform Project D?", Ryosuke asked earnestly.

Yoshi laughed, "If you want to, then go ahead. We're all the same, Takahashi. Waiting for something to push our limits."

Ryosuke laughed as well, "I pushed the boundaries that racing had ever seen and I would gladly accept your challenge."

"Then, it's on." Yoshi said sternly.

The auras that radiated from the two racers could light a fire, as they shook their hands.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"What?! Project D is reforming?!"

"Look, Takumi, you don't have to freak out."

"Yeah, I'm freaking out about this. I didn't ask you to reform D, so that I can just race someone."

"Well, your opponent's friend asked for it. I've notified them already, an expedition date will be given soon. See you."

"Ryosuke-san, I-"

The line went dead.

Takumi buried his face in his hands, and promptly screamed into them. He never felt this upset since Natsuki's activities. Slowly taking deep breaths, he calmed down.

"Okay, it's just a race, no need to freak out about it."

Takumi looked around the empty apartment, waiting for his father to pop up. But he was alone.

Takumi sighed with his phone ringing echoing throughout the apartment.

"Hello? This is Takumi Fujiwara."

"Ah, yes.Takumi, it's Hiroshi."

"Oh, err, what is it?"

"I heard about D reforming for us. Thanks to Yoshi."

"Yeah, the date for the battle will be given soon, as according to Ryosuke."

"Still, D won't stop me from beating you."

Takumi smiled, "Heh, alright, see ya."

"Goodbye."

Takumi ended the call with a sigh of relief.

"Maybe it's not that bad.", he told himself.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"So, how's the RX-8?"

"Horrible, aniki."

The two were sitting at a cafe, with the both of drinking iced coffee. When some women noticed Keisuke and waved at him, the blonde waving back.

Ryosuke smiled, "Your car's tuned to 400hp, almost as fast as your FD, and you're still getting podium positions."

Keisuke shook his head, "It's not as good as the RX-7, I can tell you that. But I'd admit that it's a good car."

Keisuke then faced his brother, "So, aniki, what brings you here?"

Ryosuke smirked again, "Keisuke, I want you to come to Nagano."

"Nagano?"

"Bring your FD, Tomiguchi, and what skills you have gained."

"Why?"

"Project D will be reborn."

Keisuke almost choked on his own spit, "What?"

"You heard me."

Keisuke chuckled, "I've always wanted to go back to the mountain passes. Thank you, Aniki."

"You're welcome."

Soon, Keisuke's phone rung, as he answered it, his face morphed into that of irritation and disappointment.

Keisuke groaned as he ended the call, "I gotta go, my racing team just called for my semi final race."

Ryosuke nodded, "Go. I'll notify you on the date of the race."

Keisuke nodded, "I'll see you around, aniki."

As Ryosuke watched Keisuke get in his FD3S and drive away, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was watched. With that, he sweared internally, thinking it was a bad idea to talk in public.

-=-=-=-=-=-

The cranks of the mechanic work filled the sound of the workshop.

As Kenji and Itsuki adjusted the Toyota 4A-GE, 20 valve engine, Takumi and Iketani observed quietly.

"Where did you get the engine?"

Iketani smiled, "A deal I made with some people who didn't want their AE101."

Takumi smirked in response.

_This how Oyaji gave me my car engine. From a mechanic that knew what he was doing._

As Kenji and Itsuki closed the engine with a few turns of tools (which Takumi barely knew names for), they grinned ear to ear.

"Takumi-san, it's complete! Our own SpeedStars 86 engine!"

"Hey, no need to get so worked up about it.", Takumi said slyly.

"So, Kenji-san, how much does it rev?", Iketani asked earnestly.

Kenji sighed, "About 10000 rpm. Not as much Takumi's but it's the best we could do."

"We'll set it up soon enough, should be done in the next few weeks.", Itsuki said happily.

"Alright, I'll be going home."

Iketani then grabbed Takumi's arm tightly, too fast for Takumi to react.

"Takumi-kun, can you come with me for a while?"

"Uh, sure.", Takumi wasn't sure what Iketani wanted to talk about but he seemed dead serious about it.

As the pair went to the local diner, the two only ordered drinks, with Iketani drinking iced tea, and Takumi having a glass of iced water.

"Takumi, I've heard rumours."

"Rumours of what?"

"That Project D is reuniting."

Takumi was nearly speechless, "Err, where did you managed to get this info?"

Iketani smirked, "Hey, it's all over the Kanto region."

The senior put his arms in the air to emphasise the grandiosity of the rumors, "The greatest street racing team returns. That's an article that even non-racers will be impressed."

"Iketani-senpai, I don't even know when the races are going to be held-"

Iketani raised an eyebrow, "So, you're saying there are races?"

Takumi shrugged, "Okay, you got me."

Iketani let a silent cheer of pumping his fist in the air, "Yes! The 86 of Akina is showing his glory again."

Takumi smiled, "Can't deny that."

"So, you're using my 86 or our democar?"

"My 86. Nothing more."

"Good choice. When is it held?"

Takumi leaned closer to Iketani, "Don't tell anyone that I told you this.", he said in a whisper.

"Alright, spill the tea."

"There will be dates on the Project D website but the actual races will be held a week before."

"Okay. Thanks."

"You can tell the guys, if you want to."

Iketani smiled, "Maybe."

Then, the pair continued sipping their drinks, with absolutely no one listening their conversation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *tf2 engineer siren*
> 
> Actual racing will be on the next chapter.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	4. Blind Attack?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Friendly note, this is my first time actually writing driving. So sorry if this isn't top notch.
> 
> Anyway, read, review and enjoy.

Takumi was surprised by the crowd that had arrived.

Alongside the Project D vans, there were other vans with the logo of the Yoshifumi mechanic shop, and a team of mechanics conversing with the Project D mechanics, Tomiguchi, and Matsumoto.

He saw the Takahashi brothers and Fumihiro talking to Hiroshi and Yoshi, while an elderly man, probably Yoshi's father, observed.

"Wow, this is what a Project D battle looks like."

Takumi looked at his best friend, Itsuki, in awe at the amount of people that were present. He glanced at Iketani and Kenji looking over the horizon.

Though, as Keisuke walked over to him, he couldn't help but notice that someone was missing.

"Hey, Keisuke-san. Where's Kenta?"

Keisuke made an expression that was similar to the time he was told Kyoko's FD had a single turbo.

"Kenta? I haven't seen him since Project D disbanded. For all I know, he could be in university."

"Huh, okay."

As Itsuki began talking to Keisuke (more like interviewing), Takumi walked over to Ryosuke and Fumihiro, who were in deep discussion.

"Fujiwara." Ryosuke spoke first.

"Yes, Ryosuke-san?"

"Would you like to do the downhill first?"

Takumi smiled, "Of course."

Then Ryosuke's expression changed into that of a serious look, "For this battle, I will not advise you. You are free to act on this battle."

Takumi nodded. In all honesty, if he was a Project D driver, he should've known the right strategy to fight in the battle. But his and Hiroshi's battle was between the both of them. No need for anyone else to interfere.

After a few minutes of talking to his friends, everyone heard the simple sentence that would be the breaking point.

"Racers, to the starting line!"

Takumi took notice that he would be the chaser while Hiroshi would be the one in the lead.

_If it's one thing, I can learn how to defeat him in a few rounds._

With the both of them revving their engines, Takumi was fired up. He hadn't had a race in a long time. His blood was pumping through his veins. The countdown began.

"On the count of five!", Fumihiro proclaimed.

"Go!"

_Hands on the wheel and stickshift, feet on the accelerator and clutch._

"Shi!"

_Rev the engine, shift into first gear._

"San!"

_Eyes on the road._

"Ni, ichi!"

A small moment of silence, only lasting a second.

"Go!"

With the screams of tires and engines at full throttle, the AP2 and AE86 rocketed down the mountain pass. With the two of them at equal speed, going through corners as fast as they can, the winner seemed undecided.

Takumi kept his eyes on the AP2 in front of him, he could how the course was as he envisioned, burned into his mind.

As he and Hiroshi turned into the corner, Takumi kept his corner entry and exit more focused on grip. It was best that it would preserve his tires.

However, the S2000 in front of him turned slightly wider than him, still focusing on grip yet flying through corners like drifting.

_Is Hiroshi like God Hand?_

It seemed like it but Hiroshi's cornering wasn't random. The guy knew how to execute the turn perfectly, coming at the perfect steering angle to do so.

Takumi suddenly knew. God Hand, while having limited steering, since he steered with one hand, had found the perfect steering angle that was the border between grip and drift.

If Hiroshi had mastered that steering angle, that would normally spell trouble. But he had to have a weakness.

But even with the information that was present to him, Hiroshi could keep his guard up against Takumi.

At the start of the hairpins, Hiroshi and Takumi drifted with ease through the first hairpin.

_Seems like he drifts through the hairpins_, _and focuses on grip on the other corners._

This could go on forever at the state it was. Both couldn't make any advances or pull off any moves.

_I could use my blind attack, but with the difficulty of this course I have to keep the move for some of the later rounds._

Also, there were gutters on the side of the road, but there were not deep enough or too close to obstacles. Thus, Takumi was unable to use them.

Once he had reached the last section, he gritted his teeth, knowing this round would result in a tie.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Takjiri Yoshifumi closed his flip phone in the distance, "It's a draw."

Fumihiro nodded to Ryosuke.

"Well, since you didn't advise him, this could be a long battle."

Ryosuke smiled, "It's his battle, not a Project D one. I'll let him act on his own."

Fumihiro raised an eyebrow, "While I can understand Takumi, but why bring Keisuke into the mix?"

"While Takumi thrives on the mountains, I don't want Keisuke to forget his beginnings here. One last race to show he should never forget the techniques he learned."

"I see."

Ryosuke glanced at Keisuke, who was observing his opponent, Takjiri Yoshifumi.

"Ryosuke, you've always said that touge racing requires different techniques than circuit racing."

Ryosuke looked back at Fumihiro, "Yes I have. But some of those techniques can be used on the circuit and touge. Such as Takumi's braking expertise. "

"And what does this have to do with Keisuke?"

"I want him to remember that despite the fact that he has won many races, doesn't mean he can be ready to race against every opponent."

"In other words?"

"Just because he defeated Fujiwara, doesn't mean that he is the world's best racer."

Fumihiro nodded once more.

Soon enough, the 86 and S2000 was back on the top, with Takumi being the one in the lead.

Once more, the two cars went down the touge.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

_Damn, he's good._

Hiroshi observed the 86 in front of him, as they entered the first few corners.

Takumi seemed to be drifting to prevent any attempt of being passed. It was a good strategy, as drifting took most of the road.

Hiroshi kept up his pace with the 86 as the wind blew across his race. This helped in cooling his body and preventing any heat which could be caused by the condition of the night. But fortunately, it was a slightly cooler night than usual.

Even then, it was his strategy to switch to a convertible setting when he was chasing and a roadster setting when he was in the lead.

He gripped his hands hard on the steering wheel as he and Takumi reached the hairpins. With both of them executing the hairpin with a near synchronised drift, Hiroshi's grip on the wheel tightened.

_If he doesn't make a move, then this could go on for a while._

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"How many rounds is this, aniki?" Keisuke asked.

"This would be the fourth."

The two downhillers rocketed as fast their cars could let them once again.

"This reminds of his battle with God Hand. Round after round, no moves were made until it mattered."

"Well, yes, but I think Takumi could have an ace up his sleeve with his good move."

"Blind attack?"

Ryosuke nodded.

"Still, what advantage does that Hiroshi guy have?"

"Other than the home course, his advantage is his car."

"The S2000, AP2. Why is that?"

"Unlike God Hand, he uses it's setting as a convertible when he is the one in the back. This allows him to have a cooling effect on his body."

"So, he doesn't have any pesky vomiting?"

"Well, God Hand was an old man, but our racer here is about as old as I am. He'll have a better chance of racing."

"Okay, aniki."

Keisuke then crossed his arms, "Let's hope Takumi pulls off a move now."

-=-=-=-=-=--=-=-=-

Fifth round.

He was now chasing Hiroshi as they entered the first section at 100km/h on average.

At probably the third section, Takumi would pull off his move.

_It's all or nothing._

The race as they approached the third section was a blur at most, but it was still as tense as the rounds before.

_Come on, come on._

Takumi never felt this high of an adrenaline rush on his body. His blood was pumping through his veins. His mind had only one objective: winning.

Once the third section was passed, he turned off his headlights.

In all honesty, this was cheating in terms of an actual race. Serving as a wildcard against his opponent, blind attack was originally done in his race against Tomoyuki Tachi. While it was unconventional, it served as a staple for his races in Project D.

However, there was a massive flaw in this situation.

The AP2 in front of him had dissapeared.

In a quick and panicked reflex, he turned his headlights on again. And the S2000 brakes came to light once more.

_How did he know about my blind attack?_

There was a simple chance that he listened to some of Project D's conversations between Fumihiro and Ryosuke. Thus, leading to Hiroshi's knowledge of blind attack. This was his opponent's wildcard, knowing the enemy strategy.

Takumi gritted his teeth.

"Damn it!" he exclaimed.

\--=-=-=-=-=

"How? What do you mean it's a draw?" Keisuke said.

"Their positions haven't changed, no moves were made at the sections." Yoshi replied.

Keisuke groaned as he walked back to his brother.

Alongside that, Takumi needed to change his tires, so Matsumoto had went down in a van to help him.

Suddenly, Ryosuke's phone rang, with him answering it immediately.

After a minute, Ryosuke returned back to Keisuke.

"Who was that, aniki?"

"Takumi. He said that his blind attack didn't work."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You heard me. It's possible his opponent had heard our conversations, so he knew about blind attack."

"Well, that spells trouble for him."

"However, he might be able to use something contrasting to his advantage."

"Aniki."

"Yes, Keisuke?"

"Can you, for once, not be philosophical?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=--=

_What do I do now?_

It was the sixth round with him in the lead. Subconsciously or as a reflex, he continued to prevent Hiroshi's attempts of passing him.

_If blind attack couldn't work, then what kind of move I can pull off_ _?_

Braking expertise wouldn't help in passing, gutter runs wouldn't help in this environment and learning from his opponent was of no use since they were near similar.

_Similar..._

As the two cars drifted through the collection of hairpins, Takumi kept himself busy with the strategy forming in his head.

_If he and I are so similar, then the only way to counter him is something that counters a smooth style of driving._

_And that would an aggressive driving style._

The last person who Takumi had raced that had an aggressive kind of driving style was Shingo Shoji. But the race ended in Shingo crashing into the guardrail.

Takumi smirked, knowing that he would definitely win as he approached the finish.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

_What happens next?_

The seventh round kicked off with Hiroshi in the lead and Takumi chasing him.

Takumi had used his blind attack on the fifth round, and Hiroshi had countered it by simply turning off his headlights as well. He had attempted to use blind attack on the sixth round to guarantee victory but Takumi had made a great attempt of blocking his attempts to pass.

As the second section approached, Hiroshi kept his eyes on the road whilst blocking Takumi.

That's he heard a _bump, _and a minor surge forward.

_Did he just bump me?_

A second bump similar to the first, Hiroshi's suspicions were confirmed.

_Oh, that's smart._

Hiroshi and Takumi were similar in terms of driving style, but Takumi appeared to have changed to a much more aggressive style of driving. Not only did that style of driving could result in death and/or serious injury, but destruction of vehicles were common.

_The worst part is that I can't do anything about it._

Hiroshi could blocking the attempts as they continued into the third section, but that's when the sudden force of going off to the side of the road. He braked in instinct, guaranteeing safety and was able to stay on the road.

But with that, Takumi was now in front of him.

Hiroshi continued his pace, but he knew that he had lost.

_Well done, 86 of Akina, well done._

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"Takumi won!" Itsuki exclaimed.

"I mean, of course he would win." Iketani and Kenji spoke almost simultaneously.

Ryosuke and Keisuke smiled as they watched Takumi's friends celebrate.

"Man, Fujiwara's got some great friends."

"I think 'overreacting friends' would be more fitting."

"Yep."

Conversations amongst mechanics were quiet but smiles all around them definitely showed that they were all impressed.

Fumihiro was the only one not celebrating, since he was discussing between Takjiri Yoshifumi and his father.

Well, it could have been worse.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Takumi exited the 86 with Hiroshi following suit.

"I'm sorry.", Takumi said immediately.

"Hey, no problem. I admit that was an incredible move you did there." Hiroshi said.

"But it wasn't exactly fair."

"Says the guy who used blind attack."

"How did you know about it?"

"Back when you raced on Happogahara, I heard from the Project D team, that your headlights were off. While I originally thought that it was some mechanical failure, I realised that it was a incredibly strategy against your opponents."

"Oh. So, are you mad?"

"No, but I think those who were professionals would think otherwise."

Takumi almost frowned. If word got out that he was technically cheating, it would've cause uproar.

Then Hiroshi looked at him directly, "Thanks for the race."

Takumi smiled, "You're welcome."

"Anyway, Yoshi will race against Keisuke, right?" Takumi asked.

"Yep. Let's hope it doesn't take too long."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed.
> 
> Thanks for reading


	5. Deja Vu

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *insert Deja Vu by Dave Rodgers*

"Keisuke, good luck." Takumi said to the blond.

"Whatever, Fujiwara."

Keisuke glanced over at his opponent who was smiling at him.

Walking over to him, Keisuke felt the man's aura. It was familiar to him, and so damn similar to someone he knew.

Takumi Fujiwara.

"Keisuke Takahashi.", Keisuke said as he held out his hand for a handshake.

"Takjiri Yoshifumi.", Yoshi replied, returning his handshake.

"So, Tak-"

"Call me Yoshi."

"Alright, Mario's dinosaur. Nice NSX you got there."

"Thanks. Also did you call me Mario's dinosaur?"

"Yep. Just because I'm joking around, doesn't mean I'll do that in the battle."

Yoshi smiled, "Cat and mouse. In the lead or chaser?"

"Chaser."

Yoshi nodded.

With that, the two cars, a Mazda RX-7 and Honda NSX, both tuned to around 450hp, now lined up at the starting line.

Hiroshi stood at the side of the cars getting ready for the countdown.

It felt like slow motion as the countdown began and Keisuke making sure that everything was in order.

"Go, shi, san, ni, ichi!"

"Go!"

With the simple exclamation, the two cars throttled up the mountain pass.

Unlike downhill battles, uphill battles are more focused on power and technique. Keisuke had found that balance between the two, but seeing Yoshi driving in front of him was unnerving.

He felt that sense that he had watched this style of driving before.

_Fujiwara, if this is your uphill counterpart, then I'm going to kick you in the nuts._

Well, maybe that was a tad bit over the top, but Keisuke had an impulsive behaviour.

But his suspicions were confirmed when his opponent drove through the hairpin, with ease and Keisuke following suit.

_I've been trained on the touge and circuit, there's no way I can lose to someone like him._

So, what were his options?

Well, the NSX had in particular weakness and that was its tendency of oversteering. Due it's mid engine, rear wheel drive body, alot more weight is forced on the rear tires, causing them to wear faster.

However, the NSX in front of him was l racing in a way that would counter that oversteer problem.

So, what else?

Both of them were around the same power, both of them were aware of their opponent's thinking.

The only thing that Keisuke could use was the NSX's weakness of oversteer.

The fact that he was able to keep up with Yoshi's NSX was not surprising. The two could enter the corners similar at near identical speeds.

Keisuke groaned as they approached the fourth section.

_Please don't take too long of a race._

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"How many rounds is this, Takumi? I've lost count." Itsuki asked.

"I have no idea." Takumi said after a momentary pause.

"Well, I've been keeping track." Iketani perked up, "It's been five rounds."

"Ouch." Takumi muttered.

"I mean, Takumi was able to beat his opponent in seven! So, that means Keisuke would beat his opponent in the exact same number of rounds." Itsuki said.

"Maybe. But it could take less time."

"Do you want to bet?"

"No."

Takumi continued talking to his friends after the two racers had started their fifth round. The young prodigy had went up the mountain, a few rounds ago so he could see who was going to be the winner.

_I wonder if Keisuke will lose._

It wasn't likely, but the blond had lost before.

_That would spell disaster for him. But that's not my problem._

Takumi took a sip of his water bottle, as the two uphill racers reached the finish.

-=-=-=-=-=-

"You want me to see your car?"

Yoshi, Keisuke and Ryosuke were standing next to each other as they observed the NA2, that Yoshi drove.

"I understand it won't make sense now, but I'm showing you my cards."

Yoshi handed the NSX car keys, with Keisuke taking it in response.

Keisuke entered the vehicle and turned on the engine, as Ryosuke went inside the vehicle.

"The engine doesn't seem particularly tuned."

Keisuke nodded at him. This was a normal NSX, racing seats and rollcage and..

"Air conditioning?"

Keisuke turned the dial, and was hit with a blast of cold air.

"Most racers tend to remove air conditioning, but why would Yoshi choose to keep it?"

Ryosuke remained silent for a minute, and smiled as he exited the vehicle.

Keisuke remained inside, enjoying the cool air of the air conditioner, as Ryosuke began talking to Yoshi.

Eventually, Keisuke turned off the aircond, and engine, and promptly exiting the vehicle.

"Keisuke, I have good news and bad news." Ryosuke said as Yoshi smiled behind him.

"Good news?"

"Well, we have more information on our opponent. His car has modifications that counteract the oversteering problem."

"Isn't that bad news?"

"The bad news is that this could go on a lot longer than expected."

Keisuke sighed, "Alright."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Actually, that was probably what Keisuke heard instead of what actually was spoken.

Keisuke only raced and drove, so he didn't have a lot of mechanical knowledge. Sure, he knew how to tune vehicles, how a rotary engine works and the benefits of a big spoiler wing. But he never put some things like tuning into racing since it was either Tomiguchi or someone else doing the mechanical work.

However, he did gain some of what Ryosuke lectured.

Yoshi's NSX had reduced weight on the rear of the vehicle as opposed to the entirety of it. The front kept most of the air conditioner, radio and more apparatus that Keisuke didn't care about. This allows the vehicle to have an almost 50-50 weight distribution.

Does that information help him? No, it absolutely doesn't.

Yoshi was incredibly fast in the corners and straights. It was almost as if he added a AWD drivetrain to the car.

Hell, maybe he did.

But even then, it reminded highly of Fujiwara, his friend and rival.

He remembered when he was first overtaken by Takumi on Akina and the way he pulled an inertia drift, a difficult drifting technique.

It not only decimated his pride, but everyone who had raced against Takumi, from the NightKids, his own brother, and every foe that Project D faced.

It fueled his determination to beat the young racer, and when he finally did, over 2 years ago, his pride was through the roof.

_So, why did aniki bring me here?_

While it was good to be back on the touges, Keisuke felt lost as he raced on this very course. It wasn't the hardest he had raced, nor the easiest, but it felt like he was pushing his FD up a slope with his own strength.

_Racing on the mountains has always been a deathwish. Takumi and I are probably the only ones that would push that limit._

So, why was he having such a hard time?

It wasn't like he was confused and unsure, it felt as if he was slowly reducing his acceleration.

_It's not hesitation, just my pride. It's slowly crumbling like a collapsing building._

Maybe it's because Yoshi was driving as Fujiwara or Ryosuke, or his sudden return to the touges.

But it was certain, his mind was blank.

_What would Fujiwara or Ryosuke do?_

Well, Ryosuke would observe how his opponent and see what he could use against him.

Fujiwara had numerous tactics, blind attack, Fujiwara zone and gutter techniques.

Hold on, gutter techniques.

While they were gutters on this course, they were either obstructed by walls or just too shallow. However, there was one place to do such a move.

The fourth section.

The fourth section (or in a downhill battle, the first) was mostly made up of simple sharp corners similar to Myogi.

However, this particular section had a almost complete lack of guardrails. Other than a few corners, guardrails had no presence.

With this, a person that knew how to do a gutter run can use the minor ditches in the corners to turn easier.

Once the two racers reached the last section, Keisuke grinned.

As Keisuke and Yoshi entered the corners, Keisuke went much further on the inside than he'd normally would. Each corner was a dangerous risk and move that allowed him to gain an edge on Yoshi.

He wasn't sure what Yoshi was thinking but his opponent was definitely aware of his strategy, with him also going much further inside.

Tires screeching, gasps from the occasional spectators and the sheer sight of the cars drifting showed the unbelievable tension of the two.

The last corner was coming up, if Keisuke could ace it, he would be able to win with the gap they had.

As Keisuke and Yoshi drifted into the last corner before the long straight and finish, all hell broke loose.

Keisuke's FD suddenly dropped off at it's right front wheel, as Yoshi got out of his peripheral vision.

_Well, I managed to pass him, but I think I just ruined my FD._

With a quick jerk of the steering wheel, Keisuke got back on the road and kept his fast pace on the throttle as Yoshi was behind.

_I've won, but my FD is damaged._

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"Here they come." Ryosuke said sternly.

Takumi looked at the two cars that drifted into the finish.

Keisuke was in front, meaning that he had won, but his front bumper had crumpled on the vehicle, leaving a dangerous trail of sparks around him.

"Keisuke won!" Itsuki exclaimed once more.

Ryosuke and Takumi walked over to Keisuke as he got out of his car.

"Good job, Keisuke."

"Thanks, aniki. But the FD is damaged."

"Don't worry about that, it's a simple repair with your professional racing contract."

"So, that's that?" Takumi perked up.

"Yep.", Yoshi said as he walked towards the trio.

"So, Yoshi, that was a good match." Keisuke said as he shook hands with Yoshi.

"Well, it was. If I would, I'd offer you 50 percent discount for any mechanic work I have to do at my father's shop."

"Hey, it's okay."

As the four talked amongst each other and began walking towards the crowd that were ecstatic and chatting, Takumi saw Hiroshi talking to Yoshi's father.

He was old, probably in his 40s, and appeared to be the leader of the team.

While Takumi didn't mind, Keisuke noticed something about the old man, making him stop in his tracks.

Soon enough, Yoshi's story walked over to Keisuke, making everyone quiet.

The old man put his hand out for a handshake, with Keisuke reluctantly replying.

"Keisuke Takahashi."

"Kye Yoshifumi.", the old man spoke.

Takumi felt the tingling aura of Kye. It highly reminded him of the racers of Purple Shadow, God Hand and God Foot as well as his father.

"Keisuke Takahashi." Kye spoke loudly.

"Yes?"

"I wish to challenge you to a battle."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed, mate.


	6. The Ultimate Challenge

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Today, children, we'll learn about the most OP car in the entire series.
> 
> Well, in theory, but this is fiction, so fuck it.
> 
> Also, some angst.
> 
> Hope you enjoy, read and review.

The crowd was silent.

Other than Project D, which were mumbling among themselves, everyone was silent as Keisuke and Kye faced each other.

"Challenge me?" Keisuke said.

Kye nodded in response.

"Alright, I accept."

Keisuke started looking around for any vehicle that would be suitable for racing.

"Is that red CT9A yours?"

Keisuke was pointing at a Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution, CT9A. Takumi couldn't tell if it was a Lan-Evo 7 or Lan-Evo 8.

_If it's a Lan-Evo 8, then that's actually scary._

"Yes, that's Lan-Evo 8, FQ-400 right there."

Takumi swallowed the saliva in his throat. A Lan-Evo 8 wasn't just an ordinary 4WD rally car. It was arguably one of the most powerful vehicles that existed on the streets and circuits.

"Tsk, another Lan-Evo. Do you want to race now?"

Instead of a normal response, Kye began to chuckle.

"If you race now, you're gonna lose, kid."

Keisuke frowned, "Are you trying to scare me?"

"Keisuke." Takumi as he walked over to him.

"Fujiwara? Is there a problem?"

"Yeah, and it's you underestimating the opponent."

"So, what? It's just a Lan-Evo."

"It's a Lan-Evo with over 400hp stock. In other words, it could be tuned to much higher speed."

Takumi turned to Kye, with the intensity of racing.

"Yours is around 600hp, right?"

"Yes, seems like you know your mechanical knowledge. How'd you know?"

"Well, my friends are mechanics." Takumi said as he pointed to his best friends behind him.

"They had a customer that wanted to tune a Lan-Evo 8 to 600hp. They did the work surprisingly well and taught me about the car."

"I see. So, you know that Keisuke will lose."

"Hey, I won't lose.",Keisuke spoke.

"You'll lose if you decide to race him now.",Takumi responded slyly.

"Well, other than the front bumper, I guess I can wait for more practice."

"Practice and _tuning._"

"Why should I tune my car?"

"Your FD is around 450hp. Kye's Lan-Evo 8 is 600hp. It's a massive 150 power gap."

Keisuke had a pokerface as he and Takumi stared at each other.

Then, Keisuke smirked.

"Fujiwara, you've changed."

The blond put a hand on his hip and the Kye,"I'll accept your challenge. But I'll tune my FD to its maximum power, and race on this course."

Kye smiled, "Understandable. But the course I have in mind is much longer."

"What do you mean?"

"We'll start from the Echo Line uphill, then the Norikura Skyline. At the end of the Norikura Skyline, there will be a pylon. Then, we do uphill on Norikura and downhill on Echo. Finish line will be at the snow resort."

"That's one hell of a pass."

"Hence, why I want to challenge you. If you can endure, I will sponsor your racing team and help in mechanic work."

Keisuke nearly gasped from his facial expression. The crowd were whispering among each other.

"I see."

"Then, it begins."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ryosuke was unsure.

As the crowd dissipated, Ryosuke played back the conversation between Keisuke, Kye Yoshifumi and Takumi.

Keisuke was obviously underestimating his opponent, Kye Yoshifumi. He didn't understand that his opponent was similar to the gods of Purple Shadow. The older brother smiled, knowing that this would be a lesson in his younger brother's pride.

Takumi was much smarter and understanding of what the opponent was. He would've been a perfect choice for the race but his 86 wouldn't be the perfect vehicle for it.

Kye was definitely someone that a normal racer would scared of. His experience, understanding of mechanics, and course decision would make a terrifying opponent for even Ryosuke.

Still, as they began to pack their bags for home and saying their goodbyes, Ryosuke went to Keisuke that was staring off into the distance.

"Keisuke."

"Yes, aniki?"

"What are you thinking?"

Keisuke sighed, "Fujiwara was right. I was underestimating my opponent."

"So, once you fixed your FD, you're going to race?"

"Well, yeah. But I'll see if I can tune it too around 500hp, so that I have a fair chance."

"I see. But tuning an FD to that high power is dangerous for the one driving it."

Keisuke smiled, "Maybe. But I've faced hard opponents such as Fujiwara. I'll race for my pride."

_There he goes._

"As a way of helping, I'll fund some of the tuning."

"It's alright."

_If Keisuke is like this, I'll make sure he'll _ _win._

That may be too caring of him, but sometimes it was necessary that he knew that he wasn't the best racer.

_Keisuke may have changed in D, but now he's somewhat back to his usual self._

Ryosuke thought as he continued smirking, on the possibility of Keisuke losing his pride again.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"Takumi, I beat my record!"

"Okay, Itsuki."

Takumi was now with his good friends, on Akina. It was over a week since they had the race on Norikura.

"I've beaten your uphill record by 3 seconds!"

Takumi chuckled, "You, Iketani and Kenji are all better uphill specialists than I am."

Iketani and Kenji who were beside them let out a good hearty laugh.

"Hey, Takumi-kun, it's alright. You absolutely decimate us on the downhill." Iketani said.

"Yeah, but you can keep up with me, which is a plus."

"Hey, I can't even pass you in the corners."

The four friends chatted amongst each other about the subject of cars, time attack records and tuning.

As they continued talking, a sudden roar of engine caught of their attention.

Before long, a Levin AE86 appeared on Akina, which each of them recognising it.

"Is that Wataru's Levin?" Itsuki asked.

Their thoughts were confirmed once the Levin parked and it's driver exited the vehicle.

"Yep,it's Wataru."

Wataru Akiyama walked over to the four with a definite aura.

"Hey, guys. I'm back."

"No shit, Sherlock." Kenji muttered under his breath.

"So, Wataru, what brings you here?" Iketani said to break the silence.

"I want to talk to Itsuki."

"Me?" Itsuki said in shock.

"It's important."

Takumi leaned closer to Itsuki and whispered, "I think it's about Kazumi."

Kazumi Akiyama was Wataru's younger sister. Kazumi had dated Itsuki back when Takumi and Wataru raced each other. They dated again after Takumi's battle with Sakamoto, but broke up with Itsuki again after her former lover begged for her forgiveness.

"So, which is your car, Itsuki-kun?"

"That ST185."

"You didn't get an 86?"

"Well, I always wanted to be Takumi. But I decided that I needed to have my own techniques, instead if being someone else."

"I see, ST185 is a great rally car too."

Wataru smiled at Itsuki.

"Let's see your skills now."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Itsuki wasn't exactly nervous.

He had help from Takumi, Iketani and Kenji on Akina pass ever since Project D had ended.

But with the ST185 and lessons taught by his friends, he became a much better racer than he was before.

He was definitely not as good as some of the racers in Gunma such the NightKids, but he could stand on a decent podium in the amateur street racing scene.

As he entered the first hairpin, he made sure that he entered the corner at the perfect angle and accelerated at the precise moment to exit it.

Itsuki was impressive nowadays. His cornering needed some fine tuning but it was his style of driving.

Soon enough, he reached the end of Akina downhill.

"Great driving." Wataru said.

"Thanks. What did you want to talk about?"

"Well, I'm impressed with your skills now. Sure, your cornering could use a bit more handiwork but otherwise, you're pretty good."

Wataru's face turned to that of a serious expression.

"You do know what I'm here for?"

"Yep, Kazumi." Iketani said reluctantly.

"Well, her boyfriend, as you so remember-"

"Yeah, I do."

Wataru sighed, "-has been abusing her."

Itsuki began to choke on his saliva.

_Abuse? That's insane._

Once he regained his breath, Itsuki continued to cringe at the thought of Kazumi being domestically abuse.

"How did you know about it?"

"When your sister comes home one day, battered and bruised, it's definitely known what had happened."

"Ouch."

"So, we managed to press charges last year and got the fucker in prison."

"Oh, that's good. So, why bring me into all of this?"

Wataru smirked, "Well, I need your help."

"Help in?"

"Help comforting Kazumi. You're the only one other than family that she trusts. I recommend that you reach out to her."

Wataru passed a small torn off notebook page, with phone numbers scribble onto it, and passed it to Itsuki.

"Those are Kazumi and my phone numbers. Call her, she'll need it."

Itsuki remained silent. Obviously, it was alot to take in. You find out your ex was abused and her brother requests to date her? It's confusing.

Wataru placed a hand on Itsuki's shoulder, jolting the young racer back to reality.

"Before I go, can I have one last ride on Akina uphill?"

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

"That's a lot to take in." Iketani said quietly.

Itsuki had done a pretty fast uphill as he sent Wataru to his Levin. Once Wataru went home, Itsuki told his friends about what they had been talking about.

It was obvious that they were shocked at what had unfolded.

Iketani and Kenji remained silent. Both of them didn't have anything to say.

Takumi seemed the most shaken out of all of them. He was pale. Itsuki placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, Takumi-san, it's alright."

"Yeah, I know. Just too shaken I guess."

Iketani sighed quite loudly, bringing everyone's attention to him.

"Great, now I'm the only one without a girlfriend."

With that, the other three began laughing.

"Hey!", Iketani exclaimed.

"At least I have one!" Kenji exclaimed.

Itsuki smiled.

Kenji had gotten a girlfriend, Maki Okino, a street racer from Fukushima. She drove a Toyota Soarer, JZZ30. She was good (not as good as Takumi), and dated Kenji because she found his sweet spot in racing. Other than racing, she worked as a mechanic at the shop Itsuki and Kenji worked.

The only bad part was the occasional obnoxious kissing they had at work.

"So, Iketani-senpai, you still think you're worthy of our leader?" Kenji asked sarcastically.

Iketani turned red, "Please don't be that mean."

"Oh, sorry, Iketani-san."

What induced was a slap fest between the two older men while Takumi and Itsuki chuckled heartily.

_Some things never change._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, angst isn't ending there. Just warning ya.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed, amigo.


	7. Preparation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tuning is fun.
> 
> So, enjoy, read and review, amigo.

Keisuke and Tomiguchi looked at FD3S engine.

"Like I said, Keisuke-san, it's gonna need a lot of work."

Keisuke looked at the 13B-REW Wankel engine that powered his FD. His own modifications, Tomiguchi's fine tuning and Ryosuke's advice, brought the RX-7 to an exceptional 450hp.

However, it won't be enough to beat Kye Yoshifumi's Lan-Evo 8.

In other words, he and Tomiguchi had completely retune the engine from scratch.

"Since the championship has ended, let's start now, huh?"

"Alright, let's go."

Obviously, it won't be too easy.

Rotary engines aren't like normal piston engines. Rotary engine rely on a part called a rotor. It rotates on an eccentric shaft (or E-shaft), in a oval like housing.

The triangular shaped rotor rotates around the housing, clockwise. As it rotates, a side of the rotor rotates on the air and fuel intake on top left of the housing and compresses the fuel into the spark plugs which ignites the mixture of fuel and air. With the rotation nearing its end, the ignited mixture is sent to the exhaust port. Rinse and repeat.

The RX-7 had two rotors, meaning the two had to disassemble the engine and modify it again.

Alongside that, they had decide to replace the turbos the RX-7 had. The turbos were placed in rotary engines to compensate for the lack of torque despite its high horsepower.

Keisuke had only done this a few times, but it was good to help reassemble the engine and continue to help it in its race.

The disassembly took quite a while, and the modifications such as apex seals for the rotor and more replacements of the coolant and turbos had to be treated delicately.

Keisuke sighed at the work he had to do, but it was necessary to help in his race against Kye Yoshifumi.

_I'll defeat him, no matter what._

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Keisuke knocked on the door.

He was on the porch of his brother's new house. It was a bit smaller than the average house, but it was more than enough to house his aniki and his girlfriend.

Speaking of which, Keisuke had not met her yet.

He never had a lot of affection for girls, especially the ones that thought he was 'hot' and 'handsome', and screamed the second they saw him. He needed some hearing aids after that. But given that Ryosuke got himself one was somewhat painful for him.

The door soon enough opened. And standing in its entryway was a young woman around his age.

"Oh! You must be Ryosuke-senpai's brother."

"Err, yeah."

The woman smiled at him, "Sayuki."

"Keisuke." he responded bluntly.

Walking inside, he was almost in awe at the size of the living space. A nice yellowish light, filled the atmosphere of the room. Keisuke sat down on a very comfortable sofa that was almost in the center of the room.

The TV was on, and it showing an anime of street racers on the highways.

_I'm surprised at the accuracy of the races._

Keisuke lived in an apartment in Tokyo. He occasionally used the highways at midnight where most street racers would pop up. Unlike touge racers, expressway racers raced for top speed. Speeds can reach up to 300km/h in certain conditions.

_I don't think would _that _ballsy._

The smell of tasty food soon reached his thoughts and he then saw his brother laying out some food on the dining table.

"I didn't know you made your own food, aniki."

"Sometimes I have food delivered but I like cooking." Ryosuke responded.

Standing up and walking towards the table, Keisuke smiled at his brother.

Once the greatest street racer of Gunma and the leader of Kanto region's greatest racing team, now was living a humble life as a doctor.

Other than the fact that he does race occasionally, he was officially retired.

"Come, sit. Enjoy the food while you're at it." Ryosuke said as he pulled out a chair for Keisuke.

With everyone (Keisuke,Ryosuke and Sayuki) on the table, they began eating.

Surprisingly every one of the foods that Ryosuke, and probably Sayuki, was really tasty. Obviously it was still home cooking, but it was done as good as a really good restaurant.

As they ate, conversations sparked between the trio. Keisuke learned that Sayuki was the navigator in the female racing duo, Impact Blue. After their disbandment two years ago, she began dating Ryosuke after she met him while he was studying in med school. Both of them were almost made for each other, in the sense that opposites attract. Sayuki was more outgoing and social while Ryosuke was more calculated and silent.

Keisuke had enjoyed the meal, but he knew that wasn't the reason he was actually here.

"Aniki, you didn't bring me here for you to brag about your cooking skills,right?"

"Maybe, but you're smarter than that. Come."

Ryosuke directed him to his laptop, which was resting on the coffee table in the living room.

"Your calculations, huh?"

"Yep."

A lot of numbers were present on the screen. Keisuke wasn't exactly efficient in maths, but his brother was smart. Hopefully, he explained whatever what was on the laptop.

"So, what is this?"

"Keisuke,sit down."

Keisuke sat down on the sofa next to his brother. Sayuki then proceeded to sit on the other side of him. The couple glanced at each other and smiled. Keisuke nearly frowned.

_Lucky him._

"Now, I believe that you can win this battle with changing one factor." Ryosuke spoke.

"And that would be?"

"Weight reduction."

Reducing weight of a car was quite common in the racing scene, street or circuit. Using primarily carbon fibre, weight reduction helped in increasing a car's speed.

"So, your FD is around 1200kg, right?"

Keisuke nodded.

"I think that if you replace the front and rear body with carbon fibre, you would decrease it to around 1000kg."

"And?"

"Your power to weight ratio when you were in Project D is approximately 0.17 horsepower per pound. If you do what I ask you to, your power to weight ratio would be 0.227 horsepower per pound."

"Uhhhhhhhhh,hmmmmmmmmmmmm-"

"The higher the power to weight ratio, the better the car performs."

"Oh."

Keisuke was slightly dazed but he understood what his brother meant.

"Alongside that, your weight reduction helps you on the downhill parts of the race."

"Alright, so what about power?"

"It's difficult to exacting say how much horsepower that is outputted. Horsepower is possibly increased by 10%."

"Wouldn't that be just around more or less?" Sayuki suddenly perked up.

The whispered argument between the two was completely making him dazed. Internally, he was probably screaming.

"So, around 7.5%?" Ryosuke spoke.

"Yep." Sayuki then kissed him on the cheek, "I'm going to sleep. Goodnight."

"Goodnight." Ryosuke responded as Sayuki walked away.

"Okay, that's around 538hp, right?" Keisuke asked.

"You're correct. Though you used my calculator."

"I'm not good at math as you are."

Ryosuke chuckled.

Ryosuke then closed the laptop and looked at him. His face was that of when he was racing or when he was in Project D.

"Keisuke, I've run enough calculations to determine who would win in this battle."

Keisuke nodded, "So, who would it be?"

"Undecided, any one of you can be the winner."

"So, me and Mr. Yoshifumi have an equal chance of winning?"

"Yes, but very slim. Around 2% for a winner to decided."

"I see."

Ryosuke's expression turned into that of when Keisuke was either facing hard times when they were younger. It assured the brother he knew was still there. Suddenly his brother's hand touched his. But it wasn't awkward per se, but more like family.

"Keisuke, in every simultaneous and calculation I've ran, your FD will have a chance of being destroyed or damages beyond repair."

"That's bad." Keisuke said as he faltered.

"However, in every simulation that has happened, the chances of you winning increased."

Keisuke almost said something but every thought that was in his mind stopped him.

_I can win but at the cost of my FD._

"I know how that FD means to you." Ryosuke said somberly.

"Yeah, I know." Keisuke said in the exact same tone.

"That FD was the car that I bought with the money I won in drifting competitions because you wanted to be like me." Ryosuke said.

"Yep. But that always reminded me on how much we are as brothers."

Keisuke spread his arms out.

"Hug?"

Ryosuke laughed, and responded with a brutal and grip like hug. Keisuke laughed as well as they hugged each other.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

"Takumi, be careful of the rain."

Takumi was inside of the 86 as he observed his father.

Bunta Fujiwara, Takumi's father, was the legendary 86 of Akina in the era of street racing. He had since retired and now just ran a tofu shop in Shibukawa. However, Takumi was unsure if his father was a professional racer as well because he seemed to know a lot of people.

"It's okay." Takumi responded to his father's warning.

"Make sure you don't spill the tofu."

"I know, you've told me for 8 years."

Bunta smiled and continued to smoke his cigarette as Takumi began his deliver run.

Takumi had always been delivering tofu for his father at 4.00am because he had to go to school when he was younger. Now, it was just a normal day.

Delivering tofu to the hotel that always wanted it, wasn't easy. Uphill on Akina wasn't exactly fast with 240hp.

The rain also somewhat disturbed his actual transfer for tofu to the hotel. Rainwater wasn't exactly the same as the water used for tofu.

Once that was done, it was simple yet complicated.

Akina downhill.

He was the definitely the fastest (with the exception of his father) and has remained unbeaten ever since. The fast course filled with hairpins in each section, was always the same even with the weather.

Rain was difficult when you were not highly experienced since there was less traction on the road. Even an experienced professional racer would be scared of rain.

_The three lane corner._

Serving as the second to last corner, the Three (as the SpeedStars have since named it), was the last place a racer could pull off a move. It was simple corner to turn, with grip or with drifting, working either way.

Takumi pressed on the brakes at the point he always had. But something was wrong and everything went into slow motion.

He wasn't turning, he was sliding straight into the trees. The 86 was going to crash.

His life flashed before his eyes.

His first win against Keisuke.

His friends teaching him how to drift.

Him teaching said friends techniques Project D.

His father.

Natsuki and Mika.

Project D.

A tree.

Then darkness.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Ryosuke looked over the dark hospital.

Hospital usually had patients flooding in and out everyday. People waiting for their turn with the doctors. Ambulances bringing in people who need medical assistance immediately.

It was redundant for Ryosuke, having seen this scene for several years now. Every person has their story. From the women going into labour, to the skateboarder with a broken leg, every one at the hospital had lives as much as the doctors and nurses.

At night, it wasn't as busy, but doctors still had jobs to do.

Ryosuke had a full time shift for today. He had just finished a surgery for a person who had cancer, and had to remove a tumour from the abdomen. It takes a long time to remove such a tumour of the size the person had.

He began took a sip of his water bottle, letting the icy cold water refreshing him.

As he closed the bottle, he took notice of someone being rushed in by the ambulance paramedics.

His eyes went wide, his body legitimately froze.

Because that person was Takumi Fujiwara.

"Takumi!", someone exclaimed. Ryosuke realized that it was probably his father.

His grip of the bottle was loose and it fell from his hands. The bounce of the bottle onto the floor was sudden and loud, but it was loud as a coffee cup dropped onto the floor.

He bolted to Takumi being rushed into the surgery room.

"You can't restrain me!" Bunta exclaimed as he was held back by a paramedic.

"Sir, you are unauthorised to enter!" the man responded.

"Fujiwara." Ryosuke spoke.

Bunta stopped, and turned around and his aggression stopped.

"Hey, please save my son!" Bunta exclaimed, as he grabbed Ryosuke by the shoulders.

"Sir, there are other doctors, who are just as qualified as me. Let them do the work."

Bunta remained still but his grip was iron. Ryosuke nodded to the paramedic, allowing him to walk away.

_Takumi Fujiwara, you're a great fighter, and I know you can make it through this._

_For all of us._

_For us._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanna eat some spaghetti after that.
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	8. Goodbye Eight-Six

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello
> 
> Please read, enjoy and review.

The Grim Reaper stood over Takumi.

No, not the _actual _Grim Reaper, this was Rin Hojo.

Ryosuke walked beside him. He hadn't changed other than his short hair.

"Hojo-senpai, what are you doing here?"

"I've heard from a source about the accident. How is he?"

"Critical but stable."

"What kind of injuries he has?"

"Why are you asking?"

Rin shrugged his shoulders, "I need to see what a patient had endured."

"Well, it's a lot. Comminuted fractures in his tibula and fibula in both of his legs, impacted fracture in his right femur, broken ribs, fractured his T6 and T7 vertebrae and a fractured skull."

"Did he sever the artery from the broken femur?"

"Fortunately, no. But the broken ribs and vertebrae had collapsed both of his lungs. Completely stopped his breathing."

Rin remained silent.

Both of them watched Takumi being completely hooked up to numerous machines that would help in his healing.

Rin sighed, "A shame."

Ryosuke continued looking at Takumi. His 86 had wrapped itself around a tree, damaging the body of the 86 but retaining its engine. He had gotten the 86 from being scrapped so that he could scavenge the engine. It was now situated in the old Project D workshop.

But the driver, now laid on a hospital bed with severe injuries to his abdomen.

_Please Takumi, I know you can fight. This is a battle you can't lose._

"So, how are you, Dr. Takahashi?" Rin asked suddenly.

"I'm fine. How about you?"

"I'm retaking medical school."

"Good for you. How's racing?"

"Being the leader of Sidewinder has been stressful, since I'm no longer racing."

"Got yourself a new car?"

"No, I just repaired my R32. Only using it for uphill battles."

"650hp is no joke."

"I also bought myself a motorcycle."

"One of those old ones or the more streamed line kind?"

"The more modern one."

"Ah, I see."

Soon enough, they discussed about their knowledge in medicine and talked about their family.

Once the pair got outside, Rin waved goodbye as he got to his motorcycle.

"See you!" Ryosuke said loudly.

Rin nodded as he put on his helmet and drove off into the city.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Bunta.

Ryosuke didn't know a lot about Takumi's father, other than the fact that he was the greatest racer of Akina in the golden era of street racing. Undefeated for several years, all while driving an AE86.

Since giving the 86 to Takumi, he had since changed his car to that of a Subaru Impreza, GC8. Imagining someone like Takumi in an all wheel drive vehicle was scary enough. Since Takumi has been only defeated by his father, it completely scared him that there was someone better than Takumi.

It was surprising to see him at a small tofu shop.

While the tofu looked appetising, his focus was on the old man at the counter.

"Are you Bunta Fujiwara?"

"Yes."

Bunta proceeded to light a cigarette.

"That's unhealthy, especially for someone of your age, sir."

Bunta didn't respond. He just continued to smoke.

"You're here because of Takumi?" he said after a exhale.

Ryosuke nodded.

He then smirked reassuringly, "I'll help pay the hospital fees."

Bunta remained silent and made no moves, but if you had looked closely, you could see that his tense shoulders had slumped.

"Thank you." Bunta responded quietly.

"One last question."

"And that would be?"

"Will you get another 86 for Takumi?"

"At this point, no. Do you wish to buy him a car?"

"Yes."

Bunta suddenly faced him, "If you do, then I want you to buy something specific."

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Keisuke felt disappointed in himself.

Over the course of a few days, several people had visited Takumi in healing.

The Northern Saitama Alliance, Emperor and even the NightKids had visited Takumi.

Alongside those people, his friends and Mika Uehara had visited him.

Keisuke had to finish the race at GT300, so he was one of the last people to visit him.

It was pitiful.

Seeing his friend just laying in a hospital bed was making him much more sadder.

_Takumi. You're the best racer I know, you can't lose this fight._

Keisuke had only saw him few days after the race at Norikura. He seemed to be pretty calm, but Takumi was worried for him.

The blonde walked the halls of the hospital, avoiding the occasional nurse or doctor.

He was soon enough outside, now heading to his FD.

The car had several modifications, from yellow painted carbon fibre body panels to a more barren interior. Alongside that, engine upgrades and reinforcements were done.

Driving it was an experience that was near similar when he first raced. Its top speed being an impressive 300km/h and distributed around 500hp.

Racing it on Tsukuba and Yatabe Try, and the speed of racing and the way the car handled was definitely the best the FD could be.

If this was the FD that he had used in Project D, it would be decimate every AWD vehicles.

Still, Keisuke was a bit worried.

While his FD was much powerful than before, it could not stand aa chance against Kye Yoshifumi's Lan-Evo. While he could put more focus on the downhill parts on the course, the uphill could be his unfortunate downfall as he lost to power.

But now his destination at the moment was the Project D workshop.

Located just a mile from Akagi pass, the workshop was where most of the tuning was held for Project D battles. It was small but plentiful of the parts necessary.

Once he reached there and parked just outside, he saw four people standing over a vehicle.

As he exited his car, he saw that those 4 people were his brother, Ryosuke, his personal mechanic, Tomiguchi, Fumihiro and Takumi's mechanic, Matsumoto.

The vehicle they were observing was Takumi's AE86.

It was heavily damaged and the body was entirely warped. Looking at it, everyone saw that the car had a very large side impact with a tree.

"-with the money from the donations, we would be able to rebuild it." Fumihiro said.

The three others nodded in response.

"Donations?" Keisuke asked.

The four turned around to Keisuke.

"Yes, Keisuke. Donations." Ryosuke said.

"Who set them up?"

"Believe it or not, it was Takumi's friends. They spread word of the accident pretty quickly." Fumihiro spoke with a smile.

"Oh, really? That's nice of them. I'll pitch in some money too."

"Sure. But quite a lot of people had donated. All street racing teams had pitched in some money."

"How much have people donated?"

Fumihiro looked between the two mechanics with a smirk, as Ryosuke held a stare at his own brother.

"A lot?"

"Enough to buy a second hand 86."

The mechanics cheered, as Fumihiro and Keisuke smiled.

Ryosuke stared at the commotion and simply smirked.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-

_Oh god. Why did I have to be here?_

Mako looked around the streets of Shibukawa.

While the town was beautiful, she was slowly just shying away. She wore fashion masks and sunglasses almost everyday she went out. She also changed her hairstyle. From braids, to ponytails, she almost looked like a complete different person every day.

I mean, there's no way that he was amongst the crowd, right?

Now she was sitting down in her apartment, watching the television news.

A few months, Mako had moved to Shibukawa due to the company she was working for had to move to a new location which just so happened to be Shibukawa. Plus, her landlord had asked her to move out and she found a place in you-already-know-where.

If there's one place she didn't want to be, it would be Shibukawa, Gunma.

_I don't want to see him. What will he think of me?_

It wasn't as if it was her fault, but instead it was just Iketani being clueless around girls. That instinct had always been around boys.

_So why do I still think about him?_

She should've moved on. But she couldn't. Whenever she tried to date someone else after Impact Blue, the dates she had gotten weren't the best or just plain creepy.

Maybe she could go out for a walk.

She hadn't really explored the town, and it was a pretty big. Other than the GS gas station and a few restaurants and malls, she didn't really know any places.

Putting a simple white hoodie and jeans, as well as a face mask, she went out of her apartment. She took her purse, checked if she had enough money, and turned off all electrical appliances.

Once she locked the door, she went outside.

The sun was bright, the streets were barely filled with people and Mako just kept walking.

She passed the point where she normally stop for food or groceries and continued walking. Once she had passed a few intersections, she saw a mechanic shop.

It was big, and was strewn about with vehicles of all sorts. She could bring her Sileighty here for mechanic work.

Her attention was drawn to an S14 that was parked just outside of the shop.

The white car had a carbon fibre hood and bigger spoiler. But the sticker located on the rear of the vehicle made her eyes nearly go wide.

Akina SpeedStars.

And it's driver has appeared.

_Iketani!_

Mako nearly just froze and fainted right then and there. But she managed to walked just a few feet away and out of sight before he noticed her.

He was talking to what appeared to be Kenji, and he had gotten inside of his car. He seemed happy about something, but she turned around and walked as fast as she could.

The roar of S14 suddenly filled the streets as it sped off, disappearing as it turned into an intersection.

_Iketani has a new car, and it's powerful. I could race him, that would be fun._

As she continued to walk, she observed around but didn't see anything of interest.

The interest now was Iketani.

He seemed very different from the last time she saw him. A new car (an S14) and it was very likely that he would be a pretty tough opponent. Though, there was a possibility that his skills were only a bit higher than before with his car.

_Should I go to the mechanic shop?_

While it did seem nonsensical at the time, Mako wanted to have a race with someone, and Iketani seemed like the best bet.

Once she arrived at the shop, she was greeted by a woman around her age.

She had shorter hair, somewhat thinner face and was cheery based on what she said as they met face to face.

"Hello! Welcome to Shibukawa mechanic shop."

"Err, hi." Mako replied reluctantly.

"Seems you're new around here, I haven't seen you before."

"Well, yes. I've just moved here a few months ago."

"So, what would you like to know?"

"Um.."

There was a lot of questions that plagued her mind but one definitely stuck more than the others.

"Do you do mechanic work for modified cars?"

"Yes, we do. We cater to the local street racers in the area. Our biggest customers are the Akina SpeedStars."

"Really?" Mako asked curiously.

"Yep! But ever since Takumi had his accident, things have dwindled."

"Wait, Takumi? As in Takumi Fujiwara?"

The woman nodded, "Yeah, right on his home course a week ago. He's still in a coma."

Now, Mako felt sick. The 86 of Akina involved in an accident? That was bewildering.

"What happened?"

"From what the police said, the 86's steering mechanism had worn down severely, which led to the car sliding."

"I see. I hope he gets better soon."

Mako smiled at the female mechanic, "May I know what's your name?"

"Maki Okino."

"Thank you. I'll come back when I have the chance."

"You're welcome."

Mako then walked away and giving one last wave before her journey home.

Once she had reached the door to her apartment, she smiled.

_Maybe there is a place for women in street racing._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit all over the place but it's necessary.
> 
> Thanks for reading, amigo.


	9. The FD's Ultimate Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE BATTLE SHALL COMMENCE.
> 
> Anyway, read, enjoy and review.

Takumi stared at the ceiling.

He could think but he couldn't speak.

He couldn't turn his head, he was stuck just staring at the ceiling.

It was made of squares with uneven terrain, all lined with thin creases.

It looked so meaningless but it helped.

He slowly closed his eyes, and drifted back into sleep.

=-=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-

The crowd was huge.

A lot of people that Keisuke recognised and those he did not, had come to watch the race.

Some of the racing teams that Project D faced, some of the people who knew him from professional racing.

All of them had come to see a battle like no other.

He had talked to Ryosuke, Kye Yoshifumi, and some of the people to see the event such as Sidewinder, Emperor and NightKids.

"Well, Keisuke, where's your FD?" Nakazato asked.

"Tomiguchi is bringing in a few minutes. Should be here soon."

Nakazoto chuckled, "Lan-Evo. One of the best AWD vehicles of all time. Good luck."

"Thank you." Keisuke replied somewhat bluntly.

As Nakazoto left, Keisuke pondered on where Tomiguchi was. The race was going to start soon.

Then the headlights of a truck appeared on the road, with Keisuke recognising it as the truck they used to bring the cars to championships.

_They're here._

With the bright yellow paint of the FD now in sight, Keisuke observed the truck parking.

Tomiguchi exited the vehicle then proceeded to lower the FD from the truck.

"Tomiguchi, is everything ready?" Keisuke asked.

The mechanic smiled, "Yep, everything is up and ready to go."

"Alright. Let's get ready to race."

Once the cars were checked thoroughly and the discussion of the fighters, the battle was going to commence.

Both cars will be lined side by side on the starting point, meaning whoever reached the finish first would win.

Mazda RX-7 Type R, FD3S. Tuned to approximately 500hp.

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution 8, CT9A. Tuned to 600hp.

Both of them high power machines, on a course approximately 75km in length.

This wasn't a Project D battle nor a normal deathwish.

This was war.

The countdown began, with the crowd chanting it this time.

"San!"

Keisuke had just enough time to glance at his opponent. Kye seemed calm but eyes remained on the road, simply waiting for the battle.

"Ni!"

He then put everything on his car in order, his gearing, his RPMs, and even a simple tap of the accelerator made him smile as his rotary engine roared.

"Ichi!"

A few people beside the cars raised their hands.

"Go!"

With a fast swipe of the hands coming down, the two cars spun their tires with white smoke emanating from them and launched from the starting line at breakneck speed.

The battle had begun.

Keisuke scowled at the fact that the Lan-Evo was now in front of him.

Just like he predicted, his opponent would try to make a gap with the power they had at the start of the race.

But Kye also made his distance just enough that he was almost making it possible to make a novel move against him.

_Pressuring someone behind you takes guts and skill._

As they entered the second hairpin, Keisuke kept his ground, making sure that he knew that Kye was being pressured.

But it didn't seem like it was working.

=-=-=-=-=-=-==-=-

"They just passed the first two hairpins. The Lan-Evo is in front." Fumihiro said as he closed the call.

Ryosuke nodded to him and continued looking over the horizon.

He was up on the top of the mountain, at the parking lot that held many spectators. It served as a point where everyone there could see where the cars would be on the race.

He remained thinking on what Keisuke was doing.

Keisuke definitely knew what he was up against, but Ryosuke remained worried.

_At this point, their average speed through the course is around 90km/h. Until the downhill part, their speed will be focused on torque and power._

"But if my simulations are correct..." he mumbled.

_Keisuke could lose the battle, over a simple factor completely overlooked by him and everyone else._

The factor in question was his brakes.

While Tomiguchi and Keisuke had replaced the brakes, the car had a chance of wearing those brakes due to the speed and momentum of the car.

It wouldn't kill the brakes entirely since Keisuke had done weight reduction, but it would make the car slow down less.

_Though Keisuke would notice this, I'm not sure how he'll react to it._

=-=-=-=-==-=-=-=-=-

_Impressive on how he's holding_ _on._

Kye continued to do his usual strategy, making his opponent attempt to pass him but stand his ground.

The straight after the first two hairpins definitely made sure his opponent was aware of the power of the car he was driving.

_An FD is a great car, but it can't beat one of the best rally cars._

On touges, AWD vehicles serve as a great car for cornering and power on uphill battles and more precision of turning in downhill battles.

2WD vehicles like the FD could do such, but required more skill for those kinds of maneuvers.

And it seemed that Keisuke Takahashi was quite skilled.

They were entering the hairpins section of the course and the FD behind him was keeping up behind him through the corners.

As they turned, the cars moved in sync with each other as they executed the hairpin perfectly.

_Great execution._

There was something that was unnerving but it wasn't the sense of him being defeated. Instead, it was a gut feeling that something bad was going to happen.

It wasn't sure on who, but Kye had a bad feeling about this race.

_But what will happen?_

=-=-=-=-=-=-==--=

The race was definitely making its impression.

The two vehicles raced throughout the course at such an even pace that Keisuke wasn't sure if he could pass or not.

_I can't do anything._

Even if he tried to use different cornering techniques or just plain acceleration, he didn't have a chance against Kye.

_I might lose._

Entering the next few hairpins, Keisuke still had a distance between him and the red Lan-Evo in front of him.

Cornering or straights made no difference in the gap. All attempts were in vain.

Keisuke felt every bit of his pride slowly deteriorate just like the time he was passed by Fujiwara on Akina.

_What made him so special? What made his ability to drive like he did? He never felt pressured before or after a race. Only during._

_Why?_

It didn't seem like he had a chance, but he couldn't lose. He had to win.

But what could he do?

_Drive like you got nothing to lose._

Almost completely ignoring the Lan-Evo in front of him, he accelerated as if he was trying to make the best course record out there.

And that simple decision made him positioned at the very back of his opponent.

The next hairpin coming up, Kye braked in front of him, but Keisuke moved a bit to the side, making his wheels run into the gutter of the corner. But once that was done, he accelerated and reached the exit of the corner.

Swerving back onto the road, Kye was now behind but maintain a small distance between them.

Bumper to bumper, they drifted the corner with relative ease to the amusement of spectators.

_If I want to win this race, I have to be calm and strong minded. No pressure, just driving as fast as I can._

Keisuke smiled at the adrenaline pumping through his veins.

_I shall win this race!_

=-=-=-=-==-=-=-

Ryosuke kept his eyes at the signs on the road.

They showed that a few red prohibition signs, that gave the clear message that it was illegal to cross the border between the Gifu and Nagano prefectures.

Touge racing had always been illegal since the dawn of the motor vehicle, but Ryosuke had never seen this type of law breaking in a while.

The crowd was noisy but two voices stuck out for him.

"Takahashi's got a tough opponent. Almost as if he was racing against you, Jo."

"Haha. Kye is quite great as me, but his techniques are much more sophisticated and confusing."

Ryosuke turned to the direction of the voices behind him and saw the two elderly leaders of Purple Shadow, God Hand and God Foot.

Walking over to them, the two men directed their attention to him.

"Ryosuke! How's the gig as a doctor?" Joshima asked.

"Great. What are you gentlemen doing here?" Ryosuke replied bluntly.

"Well, to spectate the race of course!" Hoshino said.

"We wanted to see how our good friend, Yoshifumi was doing." Joshima said.

"You know him?"

"He's a sponsor for mechanic work in Purple Shadow." Hoshino said.

"I see." Ryosuke replied curiously.

"The battle is quite an endeavour. Even more so than my battle with Fujiwara." Joshima said.

"Oh, and Ryosuke?" Joshima said sternly suddenly.

"Yes?"

"I'm very sorry about what happened to Fujiwara."

Hoshino simply responded with a nod to him.

Ryosuke nodded back.

"Here they come!" someone suddenly exclaimed.

With the screech of tires, Ryosuke realized that the cars were coming.

Due to his position in the crowd, he was able to have a front view seat of the race.

With headlights on the horizon, his eyes widened at the scene in front of him.

Keisuke and Kye were side by side.

Kye being on the left and Keisuke on the right, Ryosuke knew exactly what was going to happen.

With the Lan-Evo slowly behind, the FD drifted into the 90 degree corner with relative ease with the CT9A following suit.

Gasps from the crowd showed the intensity of the move but the racers at the front of the spectators simply smirked.

"Nice move for Keisuke, but Kye might do something at the pylon back there." Hoshino said.

"Maybe, but Keisuke would be aware of that." Joshima said.

Ryosuke continued to observed the two racers. They may be in their 40s but they knew how to race perfectly.

"I'll be going to see something, I'll see you later, gentlemen." Ryosuke said to them.

They nodded, with Joshima giving a small wave in reply.

Ryosuke walked away from them, blending in the crowd.

=-=-=--=-==-=-=-=-

_Good move on his part._

Kye kept his pace with both the power of his car and the beginning of the downhill.

The FD that was know in front of him showed considerable strength on uphill.

But downhill would also be his very unfortunate downfall.

_WHAT?!_

Keisuke couldn't believe it when the Lan-Evo suddenly moved to his left side and sprinted forward like he wasn't even there.

_How?_

He pressed down on the accelerator, increasing his throttle but barely made a dent in the gap between he and Kye.

_After this straight are two hairpins. I can make my move there._

While he did have that opportunity, the distance between him and his opponent was increasing.

He has essentially pedal to the metal, and was slowly gaining on Kye.

_I won't lose to this Lan-Evo, not even dead!_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, that took too long.
> 
> I've been busy in real life stuff, so the next chapter will take a while.
> 
> Nonetheless, hope you enjoyed.


	10. The Final Lap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's only been like 2 months since I updated this, but it feels like I have not updated this story in forever.
> 
> Speaking of the story, this chapter is not the best. I was burnt out just trying to type this out.
> 
> Hopefully, you find something out of this.

At the end of the Norikura Skyline, a crowd had gathered around the pylon that would initiate the second half of the race.

The spectators were anxious waiting for the two racers to come. Some were talking amongst each other. Others were silent.

Soon enough, the identifiable headlights appeared on the horizon, and the crowd began becoming louder.

The Lan-Evo 8, driven by Kye Yoshifumi, was in the lead while the FD3S, driven by Keisuke Takahashi, was behind him.

Suddenly, the FD surged forward bringing gasps from the crowd.

With both of them side by side and the pylon coming up, Kye was forced to slow down while Keisuke lurched forward and drifted around the pylon. Kye followed suit.

The spectators were in awe over what happened, with many talking amongst each other.

Only one remained silent, smiling at his old friend's move.

=-=-=-=-==-=

"Not unexpected from Keisuke. Let's hope he can keep the lead."

Ryosuke turned off his phone and placed it in his pocket. Keisuke had made the move God Foot did to him during the race on Tsukuba. Hopefully, he was able to retain that position.

His attention turned to a person standing far from the crowd. He walked to the spectator only to see it was Hiroshi Noburu, Takumi's former opponent.

"Hiroshi?"

"Hm? Oh, hello, Ryosuke-san."

"What are you doing out here, far from the crowd?"

"See for yourself."

As Ryosuke stood next to Hiroshi, he realized why.

Where Hiroshi was provided a view of a what appeared to be a spring of water. The moon's reflection glistened in the body of water.

"Is Takumi okay?" Hiroshi perked up.

"He's stable but still in a coma." Ryosuke replied.

Hiroshi remained silent.

"Who do you think will win this race?" Ryosuke asked.

"Hard to say, there's alot of factors to consider." Hiroshi responded.

"What's the most probable?"

Hiroshi turned to Ryosuke, "In my opinion, Kye."

Ryosuke nodded.

"Speaking of probable," Hiroshi said, "do you happen to use any theories for racing?"

"Yes. But why would you ask me that?"

"From what I've heard, you seem to have one."

"I guess you got me there. I do, though I haven't thought about it a while."

"Since it'll be a while until our racers get here, mind if we discussed about it?" Hiroshi asked.

"Sure. But you go first." Ryosuke responded.

Hiroshi nodded, "If you ask me, there exists three main factors in racing of any kind. The vehicle, the course and the driver."

Ryosuke agreed with the statement, it was true in a sense.

"The least important is the course. It varies, whether it's the circuit or the mountain pass, and the condition of the course."

"The course condition is an important one. Especially if it's wet, dry, or the roads are cracked or smooth. However, you say it's the least important. Why?"

"Courses vary. Attempting to put it all down into categories would overcomplicate everything. It also becomes less of a factor once the driver gets used to the course."

Ryosuke simply nodded his head in response. He had to disagree though. The course serves an incredible factor in street racing. If factors in the course existed, the driver had to take that into account.

"The next one is the vehicle. Its weight and power have to be taken into account. Its modifications such weight reduction or adding turbochargers have to be taken."

"That's true."

"It also depends if it's a downhill or uphill. Uphill is focused on power and technique while downhill mostly about technique."

Ryosuke had to nod again. Funnily enough, Hiroshi was right. He had a few points towards vehicles.

"Lastly, the most important factor is the driver. Their psychology can play numerous factors in racing. Their attitude is one. If a driver is cocky, they have a higher chance of losing the race. If the driver is calm, they can have the possibility of winning."

Ryosuke nodded in agreement. The driver is the person who controls those most of the outcome of the races. 

"I guess that's my point of view." Hiroshi stated, "What about yours?"

"In my personal opinion, there exists a point in which the driver make the course like their own. My theory to perfect that point."

"Okay."

"While I would like to elaborate, you have explained most of what I've known."

"Ah, I see."

Suddenly, the crowd began getting louder and the distant sound of engines roaring sparked their attention.

"Seems like our racers are here." Hiroshi said enthusiastically.

The pair looked as the racer drifted into the next corner. Keisuke was the first and Kye followed suit.

"That's interesting. I expected Kye to pass Keisuke at the third section, but it seems that Keisuke kept the lead." Hiroshi said.

"Yes, how did Keisuke keep the lead?" Ryosuke questioned.

Each and every one of his calculations showed Keisuke would be passed in the third section. How did he managed to continue being in front?

Whatever it was, it was make or break for the winner.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

_How is he able to keep ahead?_

Kye was able to keep up with Keisuke, but the FD driver seemed to be much faster in the straights and the corners.

Even then, it wasn't like Keisuke was using some sort of technique or even something unexplainable, it was just that he was going faster than usual.

But it was off. And not in a good way.

As they entered the downhill corners, he noticed that Keisuke's driving was much more riskier. He entered the corners much faster and had more wheelspin when exiting corners.

Whatever Keisuke was doing, he was definitely making sure he was ahead of Kye at all time.

_If this continues, I'll lose._

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

So what was going on?

_FUCKFUCKFUCKFUCKFU-_

Keisuke was panicking to say the least.

Rewinding back to the uphill of Norikura, he was ahead of Kye due to his move at the pylon and was keeping his distance from the older racer behind him.

When he went to enter a relatively round corner, he braked and shifted into first gear and accelerated out making himself drift around it. 

Then without warning, he might have accidentally entered a ditch or deep pothole but next thing he knew, he felt he slammed into a tire wall.

His leg had near surge of pain that signified that it was broken or incredibly sprained. He made a quick glance only to see the most disgusting thing in his life.

The accelerator pedal had stabbed his shin. 

This was not a graze or a cut. The pedal was embedded into his shin, about a inch deep. The creases in his jeans glided across his wound. Any movement would only result in pain and possible death.

Now, a normal situation would be stop at the side on the road and call for help, but Keisuke was going about 100km/h on a course with multiple corners. And his leg couldn't move from the pedal which was around medium acceleration.

In other words, he was trapped in a car with no chance of slowing down.

It was a miracle that he was even able to make it to the downhill section, all he was doing was avoiding death. It also was a surprise that he managed to keep the lead ahead of Kye, all while completely blasting through the hairpins.

_Please, don't let me die._

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

_His reckless driving.._

Almost everything about the racer in front of him was not Keisuke. The RX-7 FD was almost driven by a complete lunatic with each corner that was brought upon it. Near unpredictable corner entry and exiting, drifting that would not qualify as drifting and the worst accelerator control he had seen.

Unfortunately, Kye had no chances to make a move towards Keisuke unless he wanted to kill himself, Keisuke or the both of them.

I'll lose, the battle has been decided.

The last hairpin was coming up and the last corners would follow soon after. Kye and Keisuke drifted easily through the hairpin with each of them uncomfortably close to each other. Kye took the chance for a quick look at Keisuke.

That was when he realized that truly something was horribly wrong. 

Keisuke had a facial expression of that of true fear and was trying desperately attempting to control his vehicle.

Just as quickly as the moment came, it was swiftly over with the FD exiting at high speed.

_Something's wrong, but how bad is it?_

While he would like to theorize, they were very close to the end of the course. Speeding through the corners, Kye managed to keep his pace with Keisuke.

The last corner went by quickly. Kye began to slow down only to realize that Keisuke wasn't.

Things nearly went in slow motion, as he watched Keisuke speed away from the finish line and into the grassy field ahead, surprisingly devoid of spectators leaving a trail of dirt and smoke behind.

Kye pulled at the handbrake so that he slowed down, as he watched the FD slam into the steep hill within the darkness of the night.

Once he came to a halt, Kye immediately jumped out of the car with some spectators behind, shouting at people to call for help.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The ringing from Ryosuke's phone made Hiroshi jump.

Ryosuke, without hesitation, pulled out the phone from his pocket and answered the call immediately.

Hiroshi thought nothing of it, until Ryosuke let out a barely audible 'what?.

"Keisuke was involved in an accident?" Ryosuke barely managed to stammer.

Hiroshi was barely able to blurt a response before the White Comet put his pocket away quickly and turn his head to Hiroshi with a face full of panic and fear.

"How fast can you go on the downhill?" Ryosuke almost commanded.

"Um, four minutes." Hiroshi stuttered in response.

"Get as quickly as you can."

Hiroshi and Ryosuke somehow managed to get inside of the AP2, and before long, they were on the downhill, racing as fast as possible.

Hiroshi knew what was going on.

It's just how bad the situation could possibly be.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Keisuke couldn't feel anything.

His ears were ringing and his vision was like a white sheet was draped over his eyes.

He didn't really remember anything, other than the race. He was sure he had won but something was really wrong.

Suddenly, muffled and blurred voices began to manifest and started to become clearer.

One voice managed to be louder than the rest. Soon, it was clear enough that he was able to recognize it.

"Keisuke, can you hear me?" Ryosuke said.

Keisuke could barely murmur a response. He wasn't sure what was going on as the world began fading to black.

That's all he was able to remember as far as he was concerned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> big oof
> 
> This chapter had me in a tough spot, just attempting to pump it out. But it gets better from here, no car accidents (hopefully)
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed.

**Author's Note:**

> Please read, review and enjoy.


End file.
